Lock for breech-loading fire-arms



(No Model.)

W. B. HALL.

LOOK FOR BREEOH LOADING FIRE ARMS. No. 264,827. Patented Sept. 19, 1882.

With/(2.5563. RM. M- if N, PETERS, PlloluLllhographuL Wanhmgtom 0 cvUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM B. HALL, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOK FOR BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,827, datedSeptember 19, 1882.

Application filed June 27, 1882.

To all whom ct may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. HALL, ofLancaster, in the county ofLancaster and State ofPennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms;and I do herebydeelale the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in breech-loading,fire-arms; andit consists, firs in the combination of the fore end, the actionbody,and one or more levers which are pivoted in the body, and which havetheir front ends to project through the body so as to be operated by thefore end, while their rear ends form the mainsprings when the gun isclosed, at the same time that they act as levers to cook the hammers, sothat when the rear ends of the barrels are thrown up both of the leversturn upon their pivots sufficiently to throw the hammer back, and thenserve as mainspriugs to force them forward when the trigger is pulled.

The object of my invention is to cock both of the hammers at once bythrowing up the rear ends of the barrels, and thus dispense withcocking-levers, which have heretofore been employed for this purpose.

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention with the lock-plateremoved, showing the hammer in one position; and Fig. 2 is a similarview, showing the hammer when cooked. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the frontend of the body.

A represents the working body, and B the fore end, both of which may beconstructed in any desired manner. Pivoted in a recess which is made inthe side of the working body is the combined operating-lever andmainspring 0. These spring-levers have their front ends to projectthrough the curved front end of the working body and to pass through andinto an opening or openings made in the rear part of the fore end, sothat when the barrels have their rear ends thrown upward the fore endwill force the front ends of these spring-levers downward. These leversare pivoted at E, and have their rear ends, which form the main springs,to catch in suitable recesses which are (No model.)

formed in the lower front edges of the hammers Y. When the front ends ofthese springlevers are forced downward by the fore end their rear endsare thrown upward, so as to force the hammers backward to a point wherethe sear will catch in the notch, and while their front ends are thusforced downward and their rear ends upward, (the barrels being closed,)the tension of the springs upon the hammers is sufficient to cause themto fly forward against the firing-pins with sufficient force to explodea cartridge when the trigger is pulled. These hammers are placed whollyinside of the lock-plates, and have no levers or other cocking devicesconnected to them in any way, but are operated wholly by the movementsof the barrels and the spring-levers. When it is desired to uncock thehammers the locking-bolt H must first be moved backward in the usualmanner, so that the barrels can be turned downward just far enough tobring enough pressure upon the front ends of the spring-levers toprevent them from acting with their full powers upon the hammers whenthe trigger is pulled. Even though the hammers should fly forward withtheir full force, the rear ends of the barrels being raised, theliring-pins cannot strike the cartridges. The locking-lever, when forcedbackward, strikes against the front end of the safety catch or slide I,which is forced backward sufficiently far so that its rear end willcatch in the recesses made in the front edges of the triggers. Thissafety-catch locks the triggers, so that they cannot be pulledbacluvard, and thus prevents an accidental discharge of the gun. Af-

ter the triggers have once been locked they cannot be fired until thesafety-catch is forced forward so as to release the triggers, and thisis done by pressing against the catch or slide which projects downthrough the trigger-plate. \Vhen this slide L is forced forward itcarries the safety-catch with it, and thus releases both of thetriggers,rady for tiring the gun.

By means oftheconstruction abovedescribed, the tilting movement of thebarrels alone is made to cock both of the hammers, and thus allcocking-levers and other such devices are entirely dispensed with.

The pivotal bolt P, which passes through the front end of the body forthe barrels to turn on, is held in place by the combined springs andlevers O and the front ends of the lockplates, which fill the longrecesses in the sides of the body, as is shown in Fig. 3. These twoparts bear against the ends of the bolt, and thus prevent the slightestendwise movement in either direction until these parts have beenremoved. 4

Having thus described my invention I claim- 1. In a breech-loadingfire-arm, the combination of the pivoted fore end, the hammer, and acombined operating-lever and mainspring, made in a single piece andpivoted on the frame between the hammer and the fore end, substantiallyas shown.

2. In a breech-loading fire min, the combination of the working body,the pivoted fore end, the combined lever and mainspring, and

the hammer, the leyer and spring being piv- \VM. B. HALL.

Witnesses:

(3. S. DRURY, WM. H. KERN.

